Speaking with Jamie Redknapp for the Sunday Telegraph, Mourinho revealed: "You were a top player Jamie, you know that in England the intensity of the game is higher than any other country. But at the same time – and I tell this to your cousin [Frank], because I speak with him often – here it is more difficult to play football. Every team is much, much better organised from the tactical point of view. I used to say that a top team in England is at the same level as a top team in Italy or even better.

"The last few years the Champions League results show that the top Italian teams were not at the level of the top English teams. But when you go to the championship reality, the small teams in Italy are better than the small teams in England.

"It's much more difficult for a top team in Italy to win a game than in England because, from the tactical point of view, people are not worried about the quality of the show. People are just worried about the result. So, if a team comes for example, to Stamford Bridge, loses 1-0 and doesn't kick a ball towards the goal of Petr Cech, people will criticise. No quality, no ambition in that game.

"If a team comes to the San Siro, loses 1-0, doesn't kick a ball to our goal and they park two buses, they are not criticised for that. Here you play just for the result. For the big teams to win, it's more difficult."